Are Parise, Suter closer to playing together in Detroit?

DETROIT — Just a day after New Jersey unrestricted free agent Zach Parise said he wasn’t interested in signing with the rival New York Rangers, comes a report that prized unrestricted free agent defenseman Ryan Suter is not interested in signing with any team in the Eastern Conference.

The best part, the report says Suter the Wings are his top choice.

Here’s what Tim Panaccio of CSNPhilly.com reported.

According to a well-placed source, Suter has a potential list of clubs he would be willing to talk to even if his rights were traded before July 1. Suter is represented by Neil Sheehy.

In fact, the source said, all of Suter’s preferred destinations, should he leave the Predators, are in the Western Conference – not the East.

Detroit is generally conceded to be his top choice.

Nashville general manager David Poile, the source said, has thus far refused to talk with any clubs about moving Suter or even restricted free agent Shea Weber’s rights right now.

Suter recently began contract talks with the Predators.

Wings general manager Ken Holland said last week that he would do whatever it took to make the team better next year, which would include acquiring the rights to impending free agents, which is something he hasn’t done before.

Detroit has roughly $20 million in salary-cap space and could easily fit both Suter and Parise even with the money they both will expect.